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17 branches ordered closed, with several called in for questioning, including movement’s head, Sheikh Raed Salah; Arab MK claims outlaw “declared war on the Arab community in Israel, and Israel had to bear the consequences.”

In wake of increasing global and national terror, violence and incitement by the Islamic Movement, Israel’s Security Cabinet outlawed the northern branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel Tuesday, the cabinet stating “Any person who belongs to this organization or who provides services to it or who acts within its framework is henceforth committing a criminal offense punishable by a prison sentence.”

The Islamic Movement has two branches in Israel, the northern branch deemed violent and radical, the southern movement considered moderate. 17 of the northern movement’s branches were ordered to be closed immediately.

Israeli security forces have already begun searches and investigations of several Islamic Movement offices through out Israel, with several arrests and confiscation of computers, funds and files. The movement’s head, Sheikh Raed Salah, along with several other movement heads including Salah’s deputy Sheikh Kamal Khatib were called for questioning by Israeli police.

Salah is scheduled to serve an 11-month prison sentence for ongoing incitement on the State of Israel. Salah was convicted on incitement charges in March of 2014 for sermons calling for uprisings and violence from 2007. Appeals were made to a then 8-month prison sentence, as well as an appeal to lengthen his sentence to 3.5 years, Salah finally sentenced to 11-months.

On the decision to outlaw the movement, Salah stated, “I will take every possible legitimate step, in Israel and internationally, to remove the measures taken against the movement,” Arab MK Abu Arar stating “The Islamic Movement will not stop defending the Al-Aqsa Mosque and won’t remain silent toward what is going on there,” adding that the outlaw has “declared war on the Arab community in Israel, and Israel had to bear the consequences.”

Netanyahu stated on the decision, “The goal is to stop the dangerous incitement at home and prevent harm to innocent life. My government will continue to act as necessary against incitement and terrorism.”

Israel’s Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon stated “The Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement is endangering the security of the State of Israel and collaborating, according to intelligence we have collected, with Palestinian terror organizations, including Hamas, in order to inflame the current situation and encourage violence,” Israel’s Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan stating, “The State of Israel must set an example and spearhead the fight against radical Islam, whose emissaries we saw slaughtering innocents in Paris, New York, Madrid and Israel. The Islamic Movement, Hamas, the Islamic State and other Islamist organizations have a common ideological platform that is the cause for terrorist attacks around the world and the wave of terror in this country.”